SOlar Greenhouse

Efficient, Non-Stop Use

To foster extensive research, community collaboration, and education, the Helios greenhouse will operate through the school year, despite the harsh Pomfret winters. By capturing light, a greenhouse can maintain its climate without the need for complex, energy-consuming heating systems.

Having a non-stop, applied research laboratory allows students to study a variety of science disciplines. For example:

Biology and chemistry students can study the effects of intentional environmental changes on plant and fish growth regardless of the season.

Environmental science students can study models of sustainable agriculture.

Physics students can use the year-round laboratory for studying light, thermal energy, or researching the effects of structural loads.

Engineering students can design and build aquaponic system expansion modules, automated systems, and movable insulation systems.

The Pomfret School Helios Project makes a great bed for the growth of future generations of scientists and engineers.

Greenhouse prototype.

Aquaponic systems.

How Does It Work?

Not surprisingly, greenhouses use a phenomenon called the greenhouse effect. Despite its negative connotation due to global warming, the greenhouse effect is useful for controlling climates indoors without burning fuels to maintain temperature. This effect works by allowing light to enter a structure by penetrating a transparent layer. When light enters, it refracts and is absorbed as it hits objects. Some of the energy in the light is converted into infrared thermal energy, which is trapped as heat inside the building. Here is an abridged version of the process:

Light penetrates a transparent layer, and the rays refract

Some light energy is converted to infrared thermal energy as it is absorbed and reradiated from objects (thermal mass)

Warm air rises, heating the greenhouse

Re-radiated wavelengths longer than infrared rays pass through the greenhouse "glass" into the atmosphere

The problem with regular greenhouses is that once the sun goes down the building needs supplemental energy to maintain the climate. This usually involves burning large amounts of expensive fossil fuels which releases emissions and harms the environment.

In this tour of a solar greenhouse prototype the builders explain their design.

An alternate route to producing heat at night is to store heat during the day, and release it when needed. This is where the idea of a passive solar greenhouse comes in. Passive solar essentially means that the greenhouse inactively benefits from the sun's power. This is accomplished through the use of special insulation in strategic locations such as the north wall and parts of the east and west walls.

Another, more advanced technique is the use of a Ground to Air Heat Transfer system, or GAHT system. This system usually lays in the soil below the greenhouse, and is able to build up heat throughout the day using warm air from the greenhouse. As temperatures drop at night, thermal energy is slowly circulated into the greenhouse using warmed air from underground. While up front expenses are higher, the benefits of a passive solar greenhouse pay for them over time.

​Despite our efforts to use leading edge technology, our greenhouse will still consume energy to power lighting and automated systems, even space heaters during really cold times. A way to reduce operating costs even further, is to become an "off-the-grid" greenhouse. This can be achieved through renewable energy sources, such as solar cells, windmills, or even watermills. This means the greenhouse is able to eliminate its dependency on power grids which are usually run on fossil fuels that create harmful emissions. In the future, we plan on researching and upgrading our greenhouse to include solar cells so we can diminish our dependency on power plants altogether.

Subterranean GAHT System Prototype.

GAHT System Installation by CERES Greenhouses.

The builders of a prototype solar greenhouse share the steps in their process.

Video fly-over of Solar Greenhouse Design Class's first choice site.

Have Questions?

We are more than happy to answer any questions that you have about our project; from how it works to how it's used, we'll answer any question to the best of our ability.​Please click here for a contact form! ​​Please allow for some latency in response, as academic commitments often get the better of us. We are only students!​For donations, please navigate to our donation page by clicking hereto donate.